1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to artificial flowers and, more particularly, is directed to improvements in artificial flowers of the type having at least the petals thereof formed of fabric so as to closely simulate the appearance of natural flowers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many types of artificial flowers have been produced. Recently, the most life-like or natural looking of these artificial flowers have been formed with petals of a light-bodied synthetic textile fabric, for example, of polyester, which are assembled together with other elements, for example, representing the stamen pistil and stalk or stem, to form the complete article. In the case of artificial flowers of substantial size, the petals of limp or light-bodied fabric have been formed individually and each provided with a medial stiffening wire secured thereto for simulating a vein and having a projecting end portion. When assembling an artificial flower comprised of individually formed fabric petals, as aforesaid, the projecting end portions of the stiffening wires, the stamen-and pistil-simulating elements and a stem or stalk-like element are manually bunched together and, while being thus relatively positioned, are wrapped about with wire. The foregoing procedure is undesirable in that it is laborious, and thus relatively costly, and further in that it fails to ensure that the several elements making up the artificial flower will be relatively positioned in a consistent manner to provide the desired life-like or natural appearance.
In order to minimize the labor required for the assembly of artificial flowers having fabric petals, it has been proposed to form a plurality of the petals as a unitary fabric member having a hole at the center through which there is extended, from one side, an apertured boss, for example, formed at the base of a molded plastic stamin-and pistil-simulating member, while a calyx-like plastic member is mounted on the apertured boss from the other side of the unitary fabric member to secure the latter in place and to complete the artificial flower which is mounted on a stalk or stem having an end portion frictionally plugged into the apertured boss. Although the foregoing arrangement desirably facilitates the assembling of artificial flowers for reducing the cost thereof, such arrangement is suitably only for the production of relatively small artificial flowers in which the absence of stiffening wires for the petals will not detract from the natural appearance thereof, particularly when the petals are formed of a limp or light-bodied fabric which is otherwise desired for a truly life-like appearance.